Plate Number 424. Toilet, rising from chair and putting on shawl

Eadweard Muybridge

National Gallery of Art

This is a photograph of a sequence depicting the movement of fabric held by a standing figure. The image consists of two rows of separate frames, each capturing a moment in a series of motions. In each frame, the figure is dressed in a light-colored Victorian-era dress with a bustle, standing in various positions while holding a piece of striped fabric. The fabric waves and billows as the sequence progresses, creating a sense of flow and continuity from one frame to the next. The background features an indistinct dark backdrop. The images reflect an early study of motion, reminiscent of photographic techniques used in the late 19th century to analyze human and animal movement.